Recession hits restaurant industry

Establishments offering discounts, cutting prices

With the recession deepening, there are more and more empty tables at some of Hollywood’s normally jammed eateries. Some establishments also are shaving portions and selectively cutting prices.

Marty D’s in Beverly Hills is a case in point. Opened only four months ago by Martin Davidson, a prolific filmmaker, the restaurant offers a 15% discount to anyone showing a guild card — any guild.

Davidson’s eatery is patterned after the mood of his first feature, “Lords of Flatbush” — hamburgers, hot dogs, root beer shakes and other down-home specialties (Brooklyn style). With its modest prices, Marty D’s increasingly is an industry hangout (a burger costs $6.99 and it’s immense).

“This isn’t the moment for Spago-priced hangouts,” Davidson said. “We like the fact that filmmakers, writers and agents are coming in and getting the discount. We offer good food and a beat-the-recession attitude.”